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496th Fighter Training Group

Group

  • British and American personnel hold up flags at the 496th Fighter Training Group base in Goxhill. Printed caption on reverse: 'P.H.T GREEN COLLECTION PLACE: Goxhill, DATE: 44.'

    British and American personnel hold up flags at the 496th Fighter Training Group base in Goxhill. Printed caption on reverse: 'P.H.T GREEN COLLECTION PLACE: Goxhill, DATE: 44.'

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  • Anthony W 'Tony' Levier, a Lockheed test pilot poses in front of the nose art of a P-38J-10-LO 42-68008 Lightning

    Anthony W 'Tony' Levier, a Lockheed test pilot poses in front of the nose art of a P-38J-10-LO 42-68008 Lightning "Snafuperman", whilst visiting 496th Fighter Training Group at Goxhill. Tony flew demonstrations for the 8th AF to prove the safe operation of the P-38J with only one engine running. Printed caption on reverse: 'PHT GREEN COLLECTION PLACE: Goxhill, DATE: '44.' Handwritten caption on reverse: 'Tony Levier, 268008 Lockheed Tech Rep.'

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  • A crashed P-51 Mustang (C7-Y, serial number 43-6503) of the 555th Fighter Training Squadron, 496th Fighter Training Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: '496.'

    A crashed P-51 Mustang (C7-Y, serial number 43-6503) of the 555th Fighter Training Squadron, 496th Fighter Training Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: '496.'

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  • A P-38 Lightning (B9-A, serial number 42-67297) of the 496th Fighter Training Group prepares to land.

    A P-38 Lightning (B9-A, serial number 42-67297) of the 496th Fighter Training Group prepares to land.

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  • A P-38 Lightning (B9-A, serial number 42-67297) of the 496th Fighter Training Group in flight.

    A P-38 Lightning (B9-A, serial number 42-67297) of the 496th Fighter Training Group in flight.

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  • A 555th Fighter Squadron, 496th Fighter Training Group P-51 Mustang (C7-V).

    A 555th Fighter Squadron, 496th Fighter Training Group P-51 Mustang (C7-V).

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  • Anthony W 'Tony' Levier, test pilot for Lockheed poses with the nose art of a P-38 42-68008 Lightning P-38J

    Anthony W 'Tony' Levier, test pilot for Lockheed poses with the nose art of a P-38 42-68008 Lightning P-38J "Snafuperman' whilst visiting the 496th Fighter Training Group, at Goxhill.

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  • Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb C7-M W3815 555 FTS, 496 FTG, 8AF Goxhill.

    Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb C7-M W3815 555 FTS, 496 FTG, 8AF Goxhill.

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  • Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb C7-M W3815 555 FTS, 496 FTG, 8AF Goxhill. Here shown with field modified clipped wingtips for improved low level performance.

    Supermarine Spitfire Mk Vb C7-M W3815 555 FTS, 496 FTG, 8AF Goxhill. Here shown with field modified clipped wingtips for improved low level performance.

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  • The wreck of a P-38 Lightning (B9-H) of the 554th Fighter Training Squadron, 496th Fighter Training Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'B9 is back.'

    The wreck of a P-38 Lightning (B9-H) of the 554th Fighter Training Squadron, 496th Fighter Training Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: 'B9 is back.'

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Goxhill had been a fighter training base since 1942 but it was only in December 1943 that a Fighter Training Group was established there. Pilots who had received the basic training in the USA would practise ETO operational procedures and gunnery before being assigned to the Eighth of Ninth Air Forces.

Structure

Part of
Encompassing
Previously was
Not yet known
Became
Not yet known

Stations

Station Location Date
Based Goxhill 25 December 1943 – 15 February 1945
Based Halesworth 15 February 1945 – June 1945

Connections

People

  • Walter Achramowicz

    Military | Major | Fighter Pilot | 353rd Fighter Group
    Assigned to 555FTS, 496FTG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 38FS, 55FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 350FS, 353FG, 8AF USAAF. Ended Tour of Duty (ETD). Walter Achramowicz also went on to serve in the Korean War. He retired from the US Air Force in 1964 with the...

  • Estel Alcorn

    Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 361st Fighter Group
    Assigned to 376FS, 361FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 496FTG 8AF USAAF. Ended Tour of Duty (ETD).

  • Fred Allison

    Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot | 352nd Fighter Group
    Assigned to 487FS, 352FG, 8AF USAAF. 118 combat missions flown from mid 1943 to Oct-44. Credited 9 aerial kills. Transferred to 496FTG. Completed Tour of Duty (ETD). ...

  • William Anderson

    Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot | 479th Fighter Group
    Assigned to 555FTS, 496FTG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 335FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 436FS, 479FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 435FS, 479FG, 8AF USAAF. End of War (EOW).

  • William Anderson

    Military | First Lieutenant | 496th Fighter Training Group
    Assigned to 555FTS, 496FTG, 8AF USAAF.

  • Thomas Andrews

    Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Squadron Commander | 496th Fighter Training Group
    Joined RAFVR, service pilot training in US Dallas Aviation School RAF refresher course, shipped overseas to ETO, operational training at OTU, assigned to 71S, led Blue Flight 1st mission over Dieppe 18-8-42, transferred to 334FS 4FG 8AF USAAF 16-9-42 —...

  • James Austin

    Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot | 355th Fighter Group
    Assigned to 354FS, 355FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 496FTG, 8AF USAAF. Completed (End) Tour of Duty (ETD). Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.

  • Glenn Bach

    Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot | 359th Fighter Group
    Assigned to 369FS, 359FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 368FS. Returned to 369FS. Crash landed at East Wretham in P-47 14-Jan-44 on return from operations. RTD. Transferred to 555FTS, 496FTG, 8AF USAAF. Awards: WWII Victory, EAME.

  • Raymond Bain

    Military | Captain | Fighter Pilot | 354th Fighter Group
    Assigned to 555FTS, 496FTG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 355FS, 354FG, 9AF USAAF. 80 missions. Failed to Return fighter sweep to Schifferstadt hit by return fire and shot down in P-51D 44-63193 21-Feb-45. Baled out POW. MACR 12599.

  • Robert Bain

    Military | First Lieutenant | Fighter Pilot | 361st Fighter Group
    Was flying on 27-Sep-44, when the 445th BG lost 25 bombers on the Kassel raid. Squadron established record score on this day also. 3 damaged- 2 x Fw190, 1 x Bf109. ETD. Awards: DFC, AM (4OLC), WWII Victory, EAME (3 Bronze Star).

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Aircraft

  • 43-6768 'Black Lace'

    P-51 Mustang
    Assigned to 336FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred 555FTS, 496FTG, 8AF USAAF. A/C lost 24-Oct-44. Capt Charles F Hess (1st Scouting Force) killed in training accident, bailing out too low due to engine failure.

  • 42-68008 'Snafuperman'

    P-38 Lightning
    Anthony W 'Tony' Levier, a test pilot for Lockheed visited 8th AF bases to demonstrate his P-38J Lightning 42-68008, nicknamed "Snafuperman", he demonstrated the capability of the aircraft flying with one engine shut down. Previously he and chief...

  • 43-12214 'Rebel Queen'

    P-51 Mustang
    One-time personal aircraft of pilot Lt Fred Glover and crew chief S/Sgt Louis Moore, of the 336th Fighter Squadron. Transferred to 555FS, 496FG, 8AF USAAF, war weary. Mid Air Collision crashed River Humber/Tideway, pilot Lt John D Daniel baled out, 26...

  • 42-103036

    P-51 Mustang
    This was one of the first Mustangs assigned to the 335th Fighter Squadron. ...

  • 43-6865 'Smoky Joe'

    P-51 Mustang
    This aircraft was initially assigned to 486FS, 352FG, 8AF USAAF. Trasnferred to 496FTG, 8AF USAAF. ...

  • 43-12173 'Peg O' My Heart'

    P-51 Mustang
    P-51B 43-12173 'Peg O' my Heart' ...

  • 42-67297

    P-38 Lightning

  • 42-67710

    P-38 Lightning

  • 43-6838

    P-51 Mustang
    Assigned to 336FS, 4FG, 8AF USAAF. Transferred to 554FTS, 496FTG, 8AF USAAF.

  • W3815

    Spitfire
    Supermarine Spitfire W3815 Mk Vb Const #1985, Built at Eastleigh. ...

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Citations

None

Air Force
8th
Type
Combat
Type category
Fighter
Nicknames
Not yet known
Motto
Not yet known
Insignia
Not yet known

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
13 March 2015 15:28:33 rossingtonj Changes to type
Sources

Type added.
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:42:46 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / The Mighty Eighth. A History of the Units, Men and Machines of the US 8th Air Force.' by Roger A. Freeman (1989). 'Air Force Combat Units of World War II' compiled by the Department of the US Air Force, edited by Maurice Maurer (1983). / Units in the UK from ETOUSA Station List, as transcribed by Lt. Col. Philip Grinton (US Army, Retired) and extracted by IWM; air division data from L.D. Underwood, based on the 8th Air Force Strength Report of 6th August 1944, as published in 'The 8th Air Force Yearbook' by Lt. Col. John H Woolnough (1980)

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